The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-03-09
A WOMAN GUILLOTINED.
The First Scene of the Kind in
France in Fifteen Years.

Inc t1fSC scene OIL the
France in Fifteen Years.
A woman has been guillotined in France,
for the first time in fifteen ye ars, says Paris let
ter to the New York World. The circumstances
attending the execution were horribly re.
voting, as were also the circumstances at
tending the crime The woman had murdered
her old mother, whom she considered burden
on her. She took every precaution to insure
the success Of the murder. She first saturated
the old woman's clothing with oil, then set
fire to her, and held her down with long
stick while the decrepit old creature was
roasting to death. The old woman cried
piteously for mercy, but the heartless daugh-
ter held her down till she was burned to q
crisp. Aud then, to crown murder with
blasphemy, she placed lighted candle before
the statue Of the Virgin, as an act Of thanks
giving, for the successful issue of the murder
Of her mother. The inhabitants Of the town,
Ramortin, in which the crime took place
were thrown into state Of unspeakable ex-
element The authorities had much difficulty
to prevent the people from mobbing the prison
and lynching the prisoner. A speedy trial
and trials in France are always speedy-alone
satisfied the populace. The woman was
promptly condemned to death.
The French, as is known, are repugnant to
the death sentence, and French juries come in
circumstances" But, in this case, the trial
was over before other trials would have been
begun. Filial love in France is one Of the
strongest characteristics of the paasantry, and
any one who abuses a parent is relentlessly
tabooed from society.
In the present instance the repugnance Of
the people in regard to the execution Of q
woman was overcome by the atrocity Of tho
crime, and President Grevy, who is opposed
to capital punishment on principle and who
sends nine out of ten murderers to New Gale
signed the death warrant without question.
When the arrival of NJ. Deibler became
known to the people Of the town, the evening
before the execution, there was general re-
joicing. The people remained up ell night to
witness theexecution in the morning. Most
of them We're on the ground outside the prison
as early as midnight When, about o'clock
in the morning, the tumbril or cart appeared
bearing the murderess to the place of execu-
tion the assembled multitude sent up joyous
shout. The distance from the jail to the exc
cution ground was long, but the entire popu-
lace of the town followed the death cortege
All along the way the people hooted and
jeered, the women especially, and pressed at
times so threateningly around the vehicle that
the gendarmes had to draw their weapons.
On arriving at the fatal spot dead silence
fell Oh the multitude. The woman was ordered
to descend from the vehicle, but she did not
respond to the summons. She had tainted.
The officers removed her and carried her to
the glillotine, which was grimly standing in
the morning light. On her way she recovered
her senses and screamed and resisted. She
was promptly placed on the fatal instrument,
with her head thrust through the 6GScuIe
Her screams were drowned by the
shouts of the assembled people. They
crushed around the instrument despite
the efforts of the gendarmes to keep
them back Mothers held up their babies and
men held up their little boys at arms length
70 let them witness the execution of the mur-
deress, that they might remember the lesson
for life
NJ. Deiblcr who is humane man, as far as
such may be said Of an executioner, did not
prolong the scene. He touched the 'button"
while the culprit was screaming and the as
sembled people shouting. The head dropped
into the basket; the body was thrown, with
tie discovered head, into wagon, and hur-
ried off to the cemetery. The attendants of
VI. Deiblor washed the blood from the flags
and machine with their sponges, and the i'm
mcnse crowd returned home satisfied that JUS
tce had been metel out to the unnatural
daughter who bad so cruelty murdered her
aged mother 1t is seldom such ghastiy
scene is witnessed in France.